When Germany invaded Poland, bombers devastated Warsaw - and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski began smuggling Jews into the empty cages. Another dozen "guests" hid inside the Zabinskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts.

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Publisher's Summary

When Germany invaded Poland, bombers devastated Warsaw - and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski began smuggling Jews into the empty cages. Another dozen "guests" hid inside the Zabinskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts.

Jan, active in the Polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital.

Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and its animal inhabitants and refusing to give in to the penetrating fear of discovery, even as Europe crumbled around her.

What the Critics Say

"Ackerman's writing is viscerally evocative, as in her description of the effects of the German bombing of the zoo area....This suspenseful beautifully crafted story deserves a wide readership." (Publishers Weekly)"Ackerman's affecting telling of the heroic Zabinskis' dramatic story illuminates the profound connection between humankind and nature, and celebrates life's beauty, mystery, and tenacity." (Booklist)

Poland is sometimes dismissed because they were overrun so quickly and then so many of the camps were located in their borders. This story shows that not all Poles accepted the German occupation or participated in the extermination of the Jews. This is a well-told tale of resistance in the face of certain death if they were discovered. Of doing what was right with no possible personal gain. She was an amazing woman.

I loved the way the author described some of the animals and plants and scenes. I could almost see, smell, taste and feel the things she was describing. Great history lesson also. Makes me want to visit the places she talks about. In fact, I looked it up on the internet.

What does Suzanne Toren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

When I read the discription for the book, I was intrigued..animals, WWII, Hiding Jews from the Nazi's in the Zoo, well it sounded both fascinating and moving. I was wrong. First, the narrator was horrendous. Each time there was a quotation from the Zookeeper's Wife (this is a factual account drawn from diaries, it seems, possibly interviews with family), the narrator switched to the worst Eastern European accent I have ever heard. She'd perhaps been watching too many B vampire movies, trying to form her Polish accent. When she would switch back to her natural voice, the "Euopean" would drag for a few syllables, very distracting.
The story wasn't all that interesting either. It read more like a Ph.d thesis on the stresses of war-time than a novel. The revolutionary actions of her husband are hardly discussed at all. She mostly is the "heart of the home", which in Poland apparently means she irons, cooks and cleans. A lot. Yes, we are privy to all of her feelings, but she is of course deeply depressed. I stuck through this, but only because I kept waiting for action. There was very little. Oh, do not expect lots of adorable animal stories either, as they are all either confiscated or killed before you get 10 minutes into the book. Rather graphically. The killing of an elephant was for me very disturbing. What kind of "pick" this was I cannot say..but I can say, sadly, is do not Pick.

I was very disappointed in this book. The story had great potential and was apparently based on the memoirs of people who lived through the experience. However, I found the author's style frustrating and the narrator's annoying. While the story is supposed to be about "The Zookeeper's Wife", it is really a series of vignettes about many people and events. There are multiple digressions into unrelated material and pedantic source references throughout. The author frequently just lists, jobs, vehicles, animals and events rather than including them in the story. The narrator slides from her own voice into a wistful Polish accent in a rather random way - even in mid-sentence to indicate a quote. If you are interested in a story about Warsaw during the war, there are many better books available that give credit to the courage and tenacity of the resistance.

An honest assessment of Polish life during WW2. Our heroine is the wife of the Warsaw Zoo. Survival was a matter of edge, tact and luck as the Germans destroyed the city, burned the ghetto and then left.

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